UNEP Transport Unit in Kenya, UNEP Risoe Centre in Denmark and partners in India have embarked on a new initiative to support a low carbon transport pathway in India. The three-year 2.49 million Euro project is funded under the International Climate Initiative of the German Government, and is designed in line with India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

Key local partners include the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and CEPT University, Ahmedabad. The cooperation between the Government of India, Indian Institutions, UNEP, and the Government of Germany will assist in the development of a low carbon transport system and showcase best practices within India, and for other developing countries.

Overall Context

India is currently the fourth largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter in the world, with its transport sector being the second largest contributor of CO2 emissions. The sector also aggravates road congestion, local air pollution, noise and accidents, particularly in urban areas.

Opportunities exist to make India’s transport growth more sustainable by creating an enabling environment for building transport systems which will help in reducing climate risks through mitigation within the transport sector, and by building adaptation capacity.

The project will contribute to the efforts of the Indian Government in realizing a low-carbon transport system, through its NAPCC that recognizes the need to reduce transport emissions through adoption of a sustainability approach.

Project Overview

The project combines transport and development whilst addressing the overarching issues of climate change, by catalyzing the development of a low carbon transport action plan at the national level and low carbon mobility plans for up to four cities.

Sh. Jairam Ramesh, Hon. Minister of Environment and Forests, Government of India, addressing
Participants during the Project
Inception Workshop that took place in November, 2010